Aunt Leah’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Benefit Concert

8th Annual Aunt Leah’s
Lonely Hearts Club Band
Benefit Concert

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Sponsored By:

Looking Forward To Our 9th Annual!

Thank you to everyone who helped out with the 8th Annual Lonely Hearts Club Band Fundraiser on March 27th.

This event has changed so much since it was started 8 years ago. We’ve changed venues, had a fantastic variety of performers, and have tried many different and fun ways to fundraise during the event. What has remained the same is the wonderful array of Aunt Leah’s supporters and music fans that come together each year to help us raise the needed funds for Aunt Leah’s to provide essential services to vulnerable foster moms, babies and teens.

This year one of our all time favorite bands, who has performed at each of the seven previous events, was unable to play as their lead singer Drew Stewart is temporarily living overseas. The remaining three members were still very much present however, as Stephen Stewart once again took on the role of Stage Manager and Al McInnes and Colin Stobie assisted backstage and did a lot of heavy lifting! A big thanks to each of you!!!

Dan Mangin joined the event for the first time this year and we were very happy to have him as part of our show, especially considering the success he’s enjoyed this past year which makes him a very busy man. Rich Hope and His Evil Doers performed now for the 3rd time and always get our guests on the dance floor! Sarah Wheeler whose voice could move mountains, performed with the Tishomingo String Band.

It’s our pleasure as well to feature two other bands who are very dear to Aunt Leah’s – especially considering the event’s proceeds help young people in our programs. Darker the Sky’s lead singer Robin Younge was once a participant in Aunt Leah’s Support Link Program and we’re thrilled that he not only keeps in touch with us, but has offered his talents to our fundraisers. The Beauties have also been playing at this event for a few years now and the first time they joined us, their youngest member was only 13 years old. It has been a pleasure to have them among our performers and their energy and youthfulness adds the perfect touch to this event.

Thank you very much to all the generous people who attended the event and pitched in to raise funds through ticket sales, the silent auction and balloon sales as well as donations.
Our Event Committee and many volunteers before, during and after the event are a pretty amazing group of people too! Special thanks to Kristin Jamieson, Bina Bawa, Molly Caron, Angela Tzanadamis, Ryan Parfitt and Stephen Stewart.

This was also the first year Aunt Leah’s enjoyed the support of our first ever Media Sponsor for the event: Shore 104.3 FM. Collen Brow from Shore’s morning show was our lovely MC. The radio station just celebrated their first year on air and they play the “3 R’s”: Roots, Rock and Rhythm. We encourage you to “reset your preset” and give them a try.

Among our in-kind sponsors, Storm Brewing was on tap once again, providing a variety of beer, including my personal favorite – Black Plague Stout. Thanks also to a few other unique supporters: The Marpole Revue for promoting the event; the Kinsmen Club of Coquitlam for sending some of their members to help as volunteers; and three companies who donated money in advance of the event which is a big help to us in planning our budget – Quadra Wood, Midland Wood, and Extreme Glass.

Our Silent Auction, Blind Auction and Balloon Sales raised over $6,000 and we’d like to recognize the many donors who gave generously:

Aunt Leah’s Thrift Store, Chris Baerg, Banyen Books and Sound, Byron Barrett, James Bavis, Jodi Bavis, Shub Bawa, Phil Belen & Family, Best Western Sands Hotel, The Block, Cactus Restaurants Ltd., Canadian Tire, Store 389, Molly Caron, Carrot Top Gardens, Characters Fine Book Store, Chill Winston, Clubzone, Cravings Restaurant, Katie Dey, Elemental Designs, Eugene Choo, Everything Wine Inc., Extreme Glass, The Falls Resort, First Canadian Barter Exchange, Firstar Sports, The Fort Wine Company, Future Shop, Sev and Randi Gobbato, Barb and Jim Graham, Holiday Inn Express Kelowna, Incendios/Stella’s, Jacqueline Conoir Studio, Kristin Jamieson, Jennifer Kean, Tim Kerr, Karin King, Kinsmen Club of Coquitlam, Lafflines Comedy Club, Le Petit Spa, Les Amis du Fromage/Au Petit Chavignol, Maiwa Handprints, The Marpole Review, Jim and Anne McCullum, Memphis Blues, Midland Wood, Office Essentials, One Seed Design and Interiors, Open Door Yoga, Panther Paintball Adventures, Ryan Parfitt, Polish Community Centre, Potluck Catering, Quadra Wood, Ragnar Jewellers, Raincoast Books, Fran Rajanayagam, Rangoli Restaurant, Salt Tasting Room, Sandy’s Furniture, The Secret Garden Tea Company, Semperviva, Patricia Sereno, Shore 104.3 FM, Smoking Lily, Gale and Paul Stewart, Storm Brewing, Louise Sturgess, Terra Breads, Three Bags Full, Tony’s Window Cleaning, Twisted Fork Bistro, Angela Tzanadamis, Urban Phoenix Spa, Vancouver Canadians Professional Baseball Club, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Karla Lauten West, and Zorba’s Bakery & Foods.

If you’re ever putting on an event and are looking for some fine companies who provided a variety of services to Aunt Leah’s, we’d like to encourage you to support: The Polish Community Centre, Clubzone, Potluck Catering, Action Concert and Event Services, Pedersen’s Rentals, and The Party Bazaar.

See you next year!
Theresa Olson, Event Coordinator.

Lonely Hearts Club Band Benefit Concert 2010 Photos